Fosgate Signature Phono Preamp

Does anyone know if the Foz uses step-up xformers (SUTs) for the MC section?  If not, which tubes are utilized for the MC portion of the preamp?

I have the Foz.

Those 2 cans are NOT step ups.

The circuit has active gain. According to the manual, only tube 3(12AX7) makes a noticeable sonic change.

On a side note- those 2 cans are used as footers on my old REL sub!

Hello tablejockey.......can you tell me what your impressions of the preamp are and if you've done any experimenting with tube-rolling?

Hi, just got a used Fosgate Signature Phono V1 that is a little noisy and I am suspecting the tubes. Any suggestions if this is likely? Also, what brand were the stock tubes? The current tubes are: 

V2,V1: 2x Jolinda 12AT7 WA USA

V3: 1x 6DJ8 Unison Research 

V4: 1x Svetlana 12AX7

V5,V6: 2x Mullard 12AT7/ECC81 Russia

V7: 1x 6x4 USA

I would be grateful for any help. Thanks. Frank

Wow!

Nearly 10 year old thread. I was reminded I dropped in, back in 2018.

Are you referring to tube rush?  Don't  expect dead silence at cranked levels, or have your ear pressed against the speaker, you're going to be disappointed.

My Foz is quiet. till around 12:00 o'clock(MC setting) Past that, once the music kicks in, it's forgotten, and not a deal breaker. I don't listen at concert levels, so at moderate
levels, very quiet, especially the MM setting.

I have a V2, allegedly with improvements to make it quieter. The cheesy blue LED under the tubes were replaced with orange LED's also. I disconnected that front blue LED, which I found too 1980's  looking!

ALL tube units have some degree of hiss. The Foz has active gain, so it's a little noisier than the current popular units which are aided by transistor and step up circuitry.

From the listening position, it should be acceptably quiet at moderate levels.
If you have a spare 12ax7,at7 and 6DJ8 you could swap to see if it makes any difference. I doubt it's a tube. Sometimes just reseating them can eliminate a pesky noise.

Per the manual, V3 is the money tube(12ax7 or at7) for sonic tweaking.It's subtle and naturally subjective. To my ears, the Foz is more similar than different than the current players. I've had a few current,popular tube units side by side with the Foz. They are definitely quieter at high volume .

If you find it too noisey, a Manley Chinook or Herron is in your future.